


Without You, There isn't a Home for Me

by ReleasedFromHisCage



Category: Naruto
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Eventual Romance, I will add tags as I go, Just Naruto and Sasuke protecting each other, M/M, Slow Burn, diverges from canon at valley of the end, everything follows canon before beginning of the story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 18:01:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20980079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasedFromHisCage/pseuds/ReleasedFromHisCage
Summary: When Naruto isn't strong enough to stop Sasuke from going to Orochimaru at the Valley of the End, he leaves the village and follows Sasuke. Now they're together in a dangerous new place and must work together to survive while they train under Orochimaru.





	Without You, There isn't a Home for Me

**Author's Note:**

> A/N I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRANCHISE!  
I'm writing this because I enjoy writing, not for money. Go easy on me. This is one of my very first fics and I'm pretty new to the whole letting people read my writing thing.  
A huge thank you to @bai_marionette for editing this and making it flow 2000% better!  
This first chapter was posted for Naruto's birthday because he's my sunshine.

“I have to do this, Naruto,” Sasuke began. “There isn’t anyone strong enough in the village to train me. I need to be stronger than Itachi if I’m going to kill him.” 

Naruto was barely awake but Sasuke’s words were quickly throwing sleep furthest from his mind. The blonde ninja had finally caught up to him at the Valley of the End, he had fought hard to stop the Uchiha; he had hoped he could leave without killing the other ninja. 

“Then take me with you.” Naruto groaned, pushing himself up, desperation to save his friend brewing in his heart. He had not come and fought all this way only for Sasuke to leave so easily...

“Naruto, you have the village,” Sasuke started, but he cut himself off when he saw the dark look upon Naruto’s face. There were few things that could stop the Uchiha and here was one of the greatest obstacles - glaring up at him, eyes determined, and face set. He already knew this conversation would not go the way he had hoped. Wishful thinking, he mentally chastised himself. 

“Do you really think I give a shit?” Naruto asked, coming to his knees and standing up to his full height. “I can’t bring you home but I can make sure you make it out alive.” He paused, “I wouldn’t have a home if you were dead.” 

Sasuke stared at his friend in a mixture of shock and growing concern. He suddenly felt hyper-aware of the whirlwind of emotions that were radiating off of his friend. Even worse, he could feel the lingering dark chakra in the air around them. Naruto’s eyes were wet with tears but his own stubbornness refused to allow them to fall. His chest was rising and falling quickly with his breaths but as Sasuke continued to stare intently into Naruto’s eyes, he recognized the look in the other ninja - Naruto was not afraid to stop him. He was serious about this, he was serious about stopping Sasuke and his plan

“You’re putting yourself at risk if you do this,” Sasuke began again. “Don’t be stupid.” 

When Sasuke went to stand up, his wrist was quickly snatched and he felt the strength barely held back in the other’s tight grasp... The Uchiha looked at the hand holding his wrist to see that the nails were growing into claws again, just as they had earlier. “What are you, Naruto?” 

“The Nine-Tailed Fox,” the blonde responded. “He is sealed inside of me. I have enough power that I could be of use to you.” Naruto took a step closer, his grip tightening slightly. “You will not give Orochimaru your body. I will kill him before he lays a hand on you.” 

“Naruto.” Sasuke started, brows furrowing

The hand around his wrist tightened and the claws began to dig into his skin. 

“Fine, just let go of me.” Sasuke jerked his arm free and watched as the blood began to trickle slowly down his arm. He grimaced, silently fearing what all else the other could have done. “They’re gonna catch up soon, if you’re serious about this - then we need to go now.” 

Naruto nodded but almost immediately all of his energy seemed to drain out of him, completely, causing him to pass out. Sasuke caught him as he collapsed. 

'Maybe I could let him rest', He thought, but he immediately sensed another familiar presence making its way toward them. He tightened his jaw in anger and looked down upon the blond. "Fucking idiot.." He growled as he picked up his friend, grumbling swears about the inconveniences, although there was no way his companion could hear him. He focused his chakra to his feet and moved as quickly as he could, jumping into the trees and out of sight before Kakashi could find them.  
.......................................................  
Sasuke finally made it to the hideout sometime early in the morning, it was dark and the rain had not stopped pouring throughout the entire journey. He was trembling as he approached the musty cave. Kabuto stood in the entrance waiting to welcome him but the condescending smile on his face wavered as he saw the unconscious blonde that was hanging off of the dark-haired boy's back. 

"Why is he here?" Kabuto asked, suspicious and hand immediately at his kunai pouch. He doubted that the Uchiha had defeated Naruto in battle.

"Because I decided not to leave him in that godforsaken village to be ostracized by himself,” Sasuke said, leaving no room for argument. “If you want me here, you need to accept his presence too. Otherwise, I'll find another teacher." Sasuke refuses to show any of the inner turmoil that had been brewing inside of him. He kept his face steeled, making himself appear even more resolute in his statement since the blond decided to leave everything behind for him. He knew their bond was important to Naruto but he hadn't realized just how deeply his loyalty went. Naruto’s loyalty to Sasuke went deeper than the village itself, surprising the Uchiha. He had thought the blond would have given up and gone home after their fight, or at least moved on at some point, but he had thrown his life away to help Sasuke achieve his murderous goal to avenge his clan. 

Kabuto blinked once and nodded, adjusting his glasses, although he still distrusted the situation. Nonetheless, Kabuto performed the proper hand signs and placed his palm on a seal discreetly placed on the mossy boulder. The boulder moved slowly but surely, revealing a long tunnel lit only by candles placed evenly between each other. Kabuto then led the pair down the hall towards where Orochimaru was waiting. When the three reached a large wooden door, the Medic Nin turned to Sasuke, "I could treat his wounds, it looks like he got the worst of the injuries." 

'I wouldn't have a home if you were dead.' 

Sasuke looked over to where Naruto's head rested against his shoulder. There was a single scratch across his cheek and Sasuke suddenly felt a pang of guilt. "Don't touch him,” he said, turning back to the Medic Nin. He made sure to keep his voice stern, “I'll take care of it. Just give me a basic first aid kit."

Kabuto watched him, a calculating look in his eyes, and Sasuke made a point to glare back at him. Kabuto, unphased, simply nodded and turned back to the door. "Orochimaru ordered me to show you to your room once you arrive, there is only a single bed. We were not aware that you would be bringing someone else." 

Kabuto pushed the door open, revealing a small room with a double bed and a desk, there was a small dresser made of similar dark wood against the wall next to the door. The bed was plainly done, there was only one light, and no other furniture.

"It's fine,” Sasuke immediately entered, laying his blond companion onto the bed and turned his eyes back to the silver-haired man that continued to stand in the doorway. "Are we done?" 

Kabuto blinked dumbly and nodded. "Lord Orochimaru arranged an appointment to meet with you tomorrow at noon. Until then,” he added, turning to leave, “he has ordered you to rest. There is a small first aid kit in the table next to your bed." 

With that statement, the door was closed and they were left alone in the dark bedroom, only dimly lit up by a small lantern on the desk. Sasuke looked down at where his best friend was resting on the bed, the bruises were almost completely faded and the scratch was already starting to heal. Naruto had always healed quickly, but until now, he had never thought too deeply into it.

'This must be the result of the tailed beast chakra', he realized, inwardly, he found himself glad he had these healing properties. He knew that this must have been the reason he was mistreated by the village, but he was going to live, and while it was a selfish thought and that it made absolutely no sense to feel this way when just hours earlier he had tried to kill him, Sasuke was still glad that his best friend was going to live. Sasuke opened Naruto’s jacket and pulled up the fishnet shirt that he wore underneath. He looked at the quickly healing wound left behind from when he pushed his Chidori through his best friend’s chest. When he ran his fingers over the fading mark, Naruto’s breathing remained even and he did not even stir. 

'This isn’t the safest place to be unable to wake easily', Sasuke bit at the inside of his cheek. 'I need to help him recover quickly'. Sasuke watched his friend’s sleeping face. This was not the first time he had watched his friend while he was sleeping. On more than one occasion during missions, he would find himself in a tent or often sleeping on the hard ground next to Naruto. When he would wake up from nightmares, the blond would be lying by his side so deeply in sleep he wouldn’t wake. Sasuke would be matching his breaths with his friend’s breathing to calm himself. As he watched Naruto’s nose twitch in his sleep, when no one was around, he would allow himself to smile. 

Sasuke reached into the bedside table and pulled out the small medical kit, he looked through the collection of healing salves carefully. He had never seen these kinds and he assumed that these were especially made by Orochimaru using his research. He hoped that would mean the salves would heal Naruto faster, he could not allow himself to sleep when he was unsure if his friend would wake if he needed to. He selected one of the bottles and put a small amount of the product onto his fingers and gently applied it to his wounds before placing bandages over them, more so to keep the wounds clean than anything, hoping this basic first aid would help Naruto. He was still unsure how the Nine-tailed fox’s healing properties worked and he was not about to take any chances.  
................................................................

Sasuke had been sitting against the wall next to the door quietly for hours, as he fiddled with a kunai he had pulled from Naruto’s bag. He glanced up to the blond sleeping on the bed occasionally. Time crept slowly, almost too slowly, but when he heard Naruto stir on the bed, he glanced up from the kunai and stretched out his legs. 

Blue eyes fluttered open and watched him in silence. Sasuke couldn’t think of the right words to say so he just looked back, hoping his face reflected calmly and not the anxiety he felt inside. He was too tired to ask any of the questions that had plagued his mind in the hours that he had sat guarding Naruto while he was resting. It could’ve been a few minutes or it could’ve been hours before the blond finally spoke. 

“Are we..?” Naruto asked, suddenly finding himself unable to finish the sentence.

Sasuke nodded slowly and held a finger to his lips, he pointed to the door and pushed himself from his position on the floor and moved to the side of the bed. He crouched down and glanced at Naruto’s abdomen and arms. The worst of the bruises had already healed completely. He exhaled quietly and looked back to his friend who was still watching him with a strange emotion swirling behind his eyes that Sasuke had never seen before. He used to be able to read the blond easily, or at least that's what he had thought, but now he was unsure of how well he truly knew Naruto. 

“Are you okay?” Sasuke whispered and Naruto nodded slightly.

“Have you slept?” 

“I couldn’t until I knew you recovered enough to wake if we were attacked, it’s not safe here.” Sasuke answered quietly. Naruto scooted over and watched Sasuke expectantly. 

“Naruto, I can’t,” Sasuke sighed, already foreseeing Naruto’s stubbornness entering the conversation. 

“We are not going to survive this if you don’t allow yourself to rest. Get in the fucking bed,” Naruto whispered back, narrowing his eyes at the Uchiha. 

Sasuke found himself unable to form the words to argue so he just nodded and slid into the bed, the fact that he still held tightly to the kunai in his hand as he finally succumbed to his exhaustion didn’t go unnoticed by Naruto.


End file.
